The exercises with this idea are very similar to the preceding ones. Again, it is necessary to name both the form of upset (anger, fear, worry, depression, and so on) and the perceived source very specifically for any application of the idea.
For example:
I am angry at because I see something that is not there.
I am worried about because I see something that is not there.
Today's idea is useful for application to anything that seems to upset you, and can profitably be used throughout the day for that purpose. However, the three or four practice periods which are required should be preceded by a minute or so of mind searching, as before, and the application of the idea to each upsetting thought uncovered in the search.
Again, if you resist applying the idea to some upsetting thoughts more than to others, remind yourself of the two cautions stated in the previous lesson:
There are no small upsets. They are all equally disturbing to my peace of mind.
And:
I cannot keep this form of upset and let the others go. For the purposes of these exercises, then, I will regard them all as the same.
✨ Summary & practice
Seeing what is not there.
Today’s lesson is both simple and dizzying. You are upset because you see something that is not there. Read this sentence slowly. It says that the source of all your upsets does not even exist in reality. It’s as if you’re getting angry at a ghost or crying over a sandcastle you believe is real. This idea may seem hard to accept because your upsets feel so real. But the Course invites you to consider that what troubles you simply isn’t present.
The exercise follows the structure of the previous lesson, but with an even more powerful formulation. You take an upset, say, anger toward a person, and say:
'I am angry at ___ because I see something that is not there.'
You can also apply it to fear, worry, depression. The Course asks you to do this exercise three or four times a day, examining your mind for about a minute. And if you feel resistance, remember: all upsets disturb your peace of mind equally.
This lesson completely dismantles your usual understanding of emotions. Lesson 5 showed you that you don’t know the real cause of your upsets; Lesson 6 goes even further by saying the very object of your upset doesn’t exist. These two lessons prepare the ground for Lessons 7 to 10, which will explain the mechanism behind it all: the past, thoughts, and the inability to see the present. If you truly understand this, you hold the key to emotional imprisonment.
For today, each time an upset arises, pause and apply the idea. Name the form of the upset and its perceived source, then say: 'I am upset because I see something that is not there.' Do this three or four times, and observe the peace that begins to emerge.
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